Kejriwal’s remarks motivated, to remain in public eye : DDCA tells High Court

The DDCA today alleged in Delhi High Court that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was in the “habit” of making “false and defamatory remarks” for motivated reasons to gain political mileage.

The submission was made before Joint Registrar A K Sisodia, who was hearing a civil defamation suit filed by the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) against Kejriwal and suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad for their alleged remarks against the cricketing body about its functioning and finances.

“It is needless to mention that defendant no. 1 (Kejriwal) is in the habit of making such statements before the media for political gain by accusing others being corrupt and on the contrary calling himself crusader in fight against corruption.

“Defendant no. 1 is indulging in making such false and defamatory remarks for self-serving and motivated reasons, perhaps to remain in public eye to gain political mileage,” DDCA said in its reply filed through advocate Sangram Patnaik.

It said Kejriwal in his statement has not denied that he has not made a defamatory statement against DDCA and also admitted that the statements made by him are true and correct.

On other hand, Kejriwal, in his written statement before the court, had sought dismissal of DDCA’s plaint denying any “false, scandalous, defamatory… disgraceful and outrageous statement made by him” which could have caused “irreparable loss and injury to its image and reputation in the eye of the public at large”.

Azad too, while defending his alleged remarks against DDCA, had said no allegations were attributed to him in the civil defamation suit.

The BJP MP had stated that in the plaint filed by DDCA, there was reference to 14 newspaper articles but there were no specific allegations against him.

DDCA’s counsel had said that Azad also indulged in statements “which were made solely with an agenda to defame and cause harm to the plaintiff (DDCA) for self-serving and motivated reasons”.

DDCA has claimed that the allegations regarding financial irregularities and corruption in selections at the junior level were “maligning the image” of the cricket body.

“Consequently, DDCA has suffered a loss of more than Rs 500 crore. However, DDCA is choosing to file the present suit for the damages arising out of the said defamation by the defendants, in the sum of Rs five crore (Rs 2.5 crore each).

“In addition to this, a public apology is also demanded by DDCA from Kejriwal and Azad,” the complaint has said.

It has alleged that Kejriwal and Azad have “flagrantly violated all principles of responsible behaviour and ethics”.